Michael Sterling sighed heavily leaning forward to once again hang up his phone. Leaning back in his chair he swiped his hand over his face in a tired manner debating his options. He was the owner and manager of Sterling Art Museum and Gallery, a modest but established place, which happened to be where JC Chasez and his bodyguard Ray Adams were scheduled to visit that night.
Michael was excited when the boy�s bodyguard had contacted him to inform him the young man wanted to come to the museum and insisting they had to discuss security features to ensure the singer�s safety and privacy. He had to admit that he got so excited that he might have let the young man�s impending appearance slip to one of his friends who worked for the press. And consequently he felt responsible for the scene that took place outside his museum no more than thirty minutes prior.
Although unsure of what exactly spooked the bodyguard into removing his charge from the premises, he was aware that the bodyguard would take him to a nearby location to wait for his call informing the pair that is was indeed safe to come back again. It would then be decided whether or not they actually would return and in any event the bodyguard would let him know their decision. Where or what that location was he wasn�t sure�
Now hanging up after no answer for the fifth time, Michael was starting to worry that something had happened to the duo. Looking at the mess that was his desk he groaned and set to work trying to find the notes he took when he had spoken to the Bodyguard so he could better assess what to do next.
Ten minutes later after finding his paper and trying the bodyguard one more time Michael Sterling was dialling the emergency number given to him by Ray, unsure of what to expect and what exactly to tell whoever answers the phone. But he didn�t have long to think about it as the other end was picked up and a man�s voice came across the line.
�Hello?�
�Uh� yes hello� My name is Michael Sterling� I�m the manager of The Sterling Art Museum and Gallery� I was given this number by Ray Adams��
�Yes hello Mr. Sterling, my name is Lonnie, head of Nsync security what can I do for you?�
�Well I was given this number in case of an emergency and well�� trying to find just the right words to say what he had to say.
�I think you better just come right out with it Mr. Sterling I tend to worry anyway at the mention of an emergency� what happened to my boys?�
�You see there was a substantial crowd here this evening when Mr. Chasez and Mr. Adams arrived, and at first everything was fine, but something happened � I�m not sure exactly what � But something happened with the crowd and Mr. Adams had to hustle Mr. Chasez back to the car and my security went to work dispersing the crowd. To make a long story short, my men cleared the crowd and check the possible danger relatively quickly and I�ve been trying to contact Mr. Adams since� that was over half an hour ago now� I�ve tried several times and have gotten no answer. I was worried and was told to contact this number if anything happened� I�m about to send my men up the street to look for them but I thought I should let you know in-case you have other procedures you would prefer us to follow?�
�Ok, Mr. Sterling, I would appreciate it if you sent out your men to start looking for them, I�m on my way there with some of my men and will be there as fast as we can. In the meantime don�t call the police yet, we don�t want the media getting a hold of anything that could be absolutely nothing in the long run� or anything that could be something before we are ready for them to�� Lonnie added softly into the phone and promptly hung up.
Michael slumped back in his chair at those words, hit hard by their meaning. As he set to work organizing his security he silently prayed for the safety of the young man and his bodyguard.
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Lonnie hang up the phone and turned around to find four pairs of very worried eyes looking at him. Cursing to himself for forgetting that he was in the same room as the rest of the Nsync men, he hoped that not saying anything to them at all would make them leave it alone he didn�t want to be worrying them just yet� A foolish thought that was immediately proven wrong.
�Lonnie what was that about?� Joey spoke up realizing the bigger man wasn�t going to give up any information.
�Nothing Joey.�
�But Lonnie your obviously worried and I seemed to remember the words �emergency, looking for them, police and not wanting the media to get a hold of anything just yet� Those are not the kind of words you use when nothing is wrong�� Joey replied the growing concern clear on his face.
�Look guys I don�t know anything yet, so it could be nothing.� Lonnie tried.
�Could be� so you are admitting there is or at least might be something wrong�?� Justin spoke up.
�I don�t know anything yet�� Lonnie tried again.
�Then what do you know?� Chris asked.
Lonnie sighed and proceeded to tell the boys everything that Michael Sterling had told him moments before. By the time he got to the end of it the concern on the boy�s faces and mounted into full-blown panic and fear.
�But like I said boys it could be nothing� You know how Ray can be sometimes� the two of them probably just got out of the car and Ray left his phone in it and they just aren�t hearing it. I�m sure by the time we get there they will be found and JC will be inside cheerfully looking at all those boring paintings�� Lonnie said trying to diffuse their panic, but even he didn�t really believe his excuse.
�Lonnie�� Lance tried.
�I�ve got to get going boys� I�m going to leave only Tiny here with you� Lonnie said referring to one of their bodyguards, �so no one leaves this room. Please try not to give him a hard time, he won�t know anymore than you guys do now� Don�t worry I�m sure it is nothing�� With that he swiftly left the room, the click of the door closing echoing through the silent room.
�But what if it isn�t?� Justin asked, a heartbreaking look on his face as he got up and went to stare out of the window.
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Meanwhile a dark blue van pulled up outside the warehouse Tony Collin�s uses as a hideout. Inside the van the atmosphere and occupants were quite, the twenty minute or so ride to get to their destination had been uneventful and the young man they were holding captive still sound asleep thanks to the chloroform they had administered earlier.
�He still out?� the man in the front seat asked looking into the back of the van.
�Yeah, hasn�t even really moved I think.� The other man replied.
�Okay, well come on I�ll carry him and you should really get someone to look at your nose, it is starting to swell up pretty bad.�
�Damn kid�� The other muttered in return.
The driver cautiously got out of the front of the van looking around to make sure nobody was watching he moved to the back opening the door and reaching for the slack figure that lay on the van floor, while his partner got out of the van and continued to keep watch. Lifting JC out of the van the man placed him over his shoulder and started to head inside the building.
�Is that him?� a voice sounded from across the room they just entered
�Yes Sir.� The man carrying JC said as he put the limp form on the ground and looked up to the approaching figure.
�Lets see him.� Tony said bending down to grab a handful of JC�s hair, using it to turn his head to face him, causing the unconscious man to moan softly into his gag but not wake up. �He looks pretty harmless but judging by your face he can fight pretty good.�
�Yeah, we had a heck of a time with him� had to use the chloroform we had.�
�Okay well go get yourself cleaned up and someone to look at your face.� Tony said
�What do you want me to do with him?� The man that had carried JC in asked.
�Just leave him here for now� I want to have a talk with him when he wakes up.�
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Okay that�s it for this chapter, question for you guys� specifically to those of you who have read Nightmares Never End but everyone in general as well. I�ve been toying with the idea of a possible sequel to that, and I know that there were a few people asking for one after I finished the first one on ff.net. Now originally I wasn�t going to but I�ve been thinking about another storyline that right now in my mind could very easily be turned to a sequel for that story. So what I want to know is if I were to consider writing a sequel would you guys want one or would I be wasting my time? Either way, doesn�t matter, I would just like to know what you think? So please let me know and if I get no answer I'll assume that there is no interest and won't write one. Thanks.